Radon is an issue that frequently crops up in connection with the sale of a house. When time pressures are a factor and quick decisions are needed, up-to-date and reliable measurement of radon levels in the home is often overlooked. One solution in these cases may be short-term measurement. Correctly performed short-term measurement provides both buyer and seller with an indication of the radon level and data that can simplify the process going forward.

The world’s most accurate short-term measurement

In order to meet demand for reliable measurements, Radonova has developed the world’s most accurate radon detector for short-term measurement – Rapidos. Rapidos is currently used the world over and often in connection with the sale of houses. So what makes Rapidos better than other radon detectors?

The most important features that distinguish Rapidos from other detectors are:

• Option to measure radon levels as low as 50 Bq/m³
• Extremely reliable result compared with other solutions for short-term measurement
• Safe, date-marked vacuum packs for delivery of the radon detectors
• The market’s fastest analysis and response times

Rapidos can measure radon with a relatively high degree of reliability, as the detector’s measurement volume is two to three times greater than that of other brands. The measurement volume is the amount of air contained in the detector’s chamber (where the actual measurement process takes place). A larger volume enables you to measure more alpha particles, which form when radon decays. This in turn provides broader and better data for the actual analysis.

High quality across the board

The ability to perform very precise short-term measurement is also down to the uniquely clean film element that is used during manufacture of the radon detectors. In order to achieve an accurate analysis, it is important that as few tracks as possible are made during the manufacturing and packaging process (i.e. before measurement begins). These tracks are called background tracks. Radonova’s closely monitored manufacturing process is performed in a clean environment with full traceability to keep the number of background tracks to a minimum. In order to avoid exposing the radon detectors to radon during transport, all detectors are also packaged in a vacuum. This makes it easy to see whether a pack is leaking.

Radonova regularly participates in various external comparative tests to guarantee consistently high product quality. Radonova’s radon measurements are also audited annually by a third-party auditor that issues certification in accordance with ISO 17025, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
Radonova’s short-term measurements also surpass other solutions by offering the market’s shortest delivery and analysis times. This is particularly important when selling a house, which often involves time pressure.

Radon in brief

Radon is an invisible gas that comes from the ground and is present in the air we breathe. Radon decays into radon progeny, which are radioactive metal atoms. These get trapped in our airways and emit radiation. In this way, high levels of radon can cause lung cancer.

Elevated radon levels are the biggest carcinogenic health risk you can be exposed to as far as indoor air is concerned. Globally around 230,000 people develop lung cancer every year because of elevated radon levels.

Swedish Radonova Laboratories has been commissioned to analyse radon samples in the major Canadian campaign “Evict Radon”. This campaign aims to reduce the incidence of radon in Canadian homes and lung cancer as a consequence of long-term exposure to radon gas. This campaign being conducted in the province of Alberta is headed by Dr Aaron Goodarzi at the University of Calgary.

Radon is measured for at least 90 days and analysed at Radonova’s laboratory. The results will form the basis for continued studies on how radon exposure affects the environment and the health of residents. The project involves doctors, biologists, geologists, architects and experts from a number of other fields. It is estimated that in parts of the province of Alberta, one in six homes is affected by radon. And every day one resident is diagnosed with lung cancer caused by radon.

May become a template for similar projects

“We are naturally proud that such a large and important project has chosen Radonova as its partner for analysis of its radon measurements. At the same time, we know that Radonova is the only operator with global ISO certification. We currently occupy a very prominent position when it comes to radon measurement and analysis. In this role we always want to play an active part in the work of reducing unhealthy exposure to radon. The Evict Radon campaign seems particularly important, as it is comprehensive and well planned. This means in turn that after the campaign has ended it can act as a template for similar projects,” says Karl Nilsson, CEO of Radonova Laboratories.

After smoking, radon is the most common cause of lung cancer. This makes radon a serious global health problem that every year leads to around 230,000 cases of lung cancer.

For further information about the Evict Radon campaign, visit Evict radon

For further information about radon and radon measurement, visit our FAQ

The interest group and project metroRADON stand for ‘Metrology for radon monitoring’. This radon project is funded by EMPIR (the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research).

“It is natural for Radonova to play an active part in this interest group. The issue of radon is largely addressed from a global perspective. The exchange of experience and research has a major bearing on each country’s ability to reduce the harmful effects of radon on health,” says Radonova Laboratories’ CEO Karl Nilsson.

“Radonova has been to several meetings of metroRADON during the year and now becomes an active and effective member of the consortium. We intend to contribute valuable knowledge in the field of radon monitoring while taking a closer look at the research and experience from other countries,” says Radonova Laboratories’ radon specialist José-Luis Gutiérrez Villanueva.

For more information on the project, visit www.metroradon.eu.

You can read more about Radonova here.

Radonova’s radon specialist José-Luis Gutiérrez Villanueva is a member of the project committee. He is there as an expert and representative of ERA (the European Radon Association), one of the project’s scientific coordinators (COIRA). Gutiérrez Villanueva is also involved in the work of analysing the data collected.

“Such a comprehensive comparative study means that we can expect to have access to reference tools within a few years.  This will make radon monitoring safer and more effective,” he explains.

COIRA was formed in 2015 and has five member associations: ERA (the European Radon Association), AARST (the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists), CARST (the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists), UKRA (the UK Radon Association) and NGRA (the Nordic Group of Radon Associations).

For more information on the project, visit www.coiraradon.com.

You can read more about Radonova here.

When you own a house or intend to buy a house, you often hear talk about radon values and the fact that you need to check them for health reasons. But where does radon come from?

Radon is a gas that occurs naturally in soil and in bedrock. It is a so-called “inert” gas and is an element with the chemical symbol Rn and atomic number 86 in the periodic table. The property that makes radon damaging to health is the fact that it is a radioactive substance. Radioactivity means that radon emits radiation, so-called “ionising” radiation which affects biological systems. The element radon is part of the decay chain, which includes the elements uranium and radium (which are also radioactive).
Ionising radiation can damage cells and cause cell death and can destroy DNA molecules in the body. Which can lead to mutations and therefore to cancer. Lung cancer in particular is a form of cancer that can be caused by radon radiation.

Where does radon in a house come from?

Radon originally comes from uranium and radium, which occur naturally in bedrock. If a building is constructed on such land, and particularly if the building also has a basement, there can be a problem with radon. The parts of the building that come into contact with the ground can let in radon from the surroundings if they are not sealed.

Investigation and measurement

It is easy to measure and investigate radon in a home. A radon laboratory will help by sending out measurement boxes for radon. You simply hang these from the ceiling in the rooms you want to measure radon in. The measurement must go on for a few months. Then the radon boxes are sent in to the laboratory for analysis and you get a radon value for each room. The limit value for radon is currently 300 Bq/m3 in dwellings. If it is higher than that, you should carry out some form of radon degasification.

“This order shows that radon is a global health problem. There’s a growing awareness of this issue in countries that haven’t paid that much attention to this in the past. The IAEA may not be a government authority, but it still has great influence and stringent demands when it comes to quality, reliability and support. We also know that we won this contract in competition with several other players and the IAEA chose us as the best option,” says Karl Nilsson, CEO of Radonova Laboratories.

“Only a few months ago we signed our first co-operation agreement in Asia. Naturally, it’s a pleasure to continue our international expansion into another continent. Regardless of the environment being tested, radon monitoring and analysis must always be carried out safely and reliably,” Nilsson concludes.

For further information on radon and radon monitoring, visit www.radonovalaboratories.com
IAEA stands for the International Atomic Energy Agency. For further information, visit www.iaea.org

Internationally, there are radon maps that show which areas are more exposed to radon and which are less exposed. Consequently, many people do not measure radon because they think they live in a radon-free area, but that is wrong. Almost all countries are exposed to radon and considerable local differences can exist within the residential areas. That is confirmed by studies carried out by Radonova in which the results from the same residential area were examined. That is why it is always important to measure radon and not rely on radon maps.

Why are there such large local differences in radon content?

It is due to variations in radon in the ground and how buildings are constructed, what maintenance they have had and what rebuilding has taken place.

The levels of radon in the ground depend on factors such as the extent to which the elements uranium and radium are present in our rock types and therefore also our soil types. Radon gas is formed from these elements and is transported through the soil layer with the aid of air and ground water. This means, for example, that there is a greater risk of radon in buildings constructed on sand and gravel. These highly porous soil types contain large amounts of air that can easily transport radon up into buildings.

Important – Where does radon leak into houses?

Radon from the ground leaks into houses and apartment blocks in many different ways. Unsealed penetrations in the form of incoming electricity and water supplies enable radon to leak into the building. A concrete pad with cracks can also allow radon to leak in.

These causes mean that there can be considerable local variations in the radon content in residential areas. It is therefore always important to measure the radon content in indoor air, regardless of where you live and how you live – in a house or in an apartment building.

Radonova Laboratories introduces date-marking for the detectors used in radon monitoring. Together with the recently launched vacuum packaging, the date-mark ensures that the monitoring and analysis work can be carried out with the utmost reliability.

Tryggve Rönnqvist, technical manager at Radonova Laboratories, describes the benefits of date-marking the detectors:

“By date-marking each individual pack, we further increase the measurement certainty of short-term monitoring. If radon monitoring is carried out over seven to ten days after the detector has been stored for a year, this could have some effect on the result. Quite simply, it’s more difficult to measure lower concentrations reliably if the monitoring period is short and the storage time is long. Even though we’re talking about small deviations, we always strive to give our customers the most accurate monitoring results possible.”

Easier for stockists and customers with their own stock of detectors

“Above all, data-marketing makes life easier for international stockists and customers who have their own stock of radon detectors. Now they can quickly see how old the detectors are and optimise their warehouse logistics accordingly. Real estate agents are another good example of businesses that benefit from clear date-marking. Monitoring is often fast and frequent in this segment and many agents, therefore, often have their own supply of detectors. With date-marking, we’ve made it easier to use the detectors in the right order.

“Although our monitoring is already at the very forefront of reliability, clear data-marking of each detector and the newly introduced vacuum packaging helps us to offer even simpler, more reliable radon monitoring.

Radonova Laboratories is introducing date-marking on its detectors in November 2018. The newly launched vacuum packaging provides a maximum storage time of eight months. Both for short-term monitoring and three years for long-term monitoring. Radonova also recommends beginning long-term monitoring within 18 months because the measurement uncertainty decreases the sooner monitoring begins.

For further information about radon and radon monitoring, contact us here